Category Archives: shoveling

The owner, agent of the owner or occupant of premises bordering on any street or public place within the Town where there is an established sidewalk shall cause to be removed therefrom any and all snow and ice within 12 hours after the same shall have fallen or formed or within 12 hours after sunrise when the same shall have fallen or formed in the night season. When it is impracticable to remove ice, the sidewalk shall be made safe and convenient for travel by covering with sand or some other suitable substance.

I know the town has lots to do every day, but this would be a fine day to put some of it aside and crack down on the many people who don’t bother to shovel their walks.

The storm was Friday night. Anybody who hasn’t got their sidewalks cleared by now isn’t going to do it — and probably never does. I know in my neigborhood it’s the same folks today that always ignore the law, and apparently don’t care if schoolkids have to trudge in the street or across icy peaks.

It especially irks me when they shovel out their driveways so they can get their cars out but don’t lift a finger to clear the public walkways that the law mandates they make passable. I saw one guy who had his driveway clear but had about 6 feet of snow piled high on each side of it, right where the sidewalk is. He just doesn’t give a damn about the law or the public.

So let’s nail these bums today. The sun is out. It’s a beautiful day to send the cops out to issue a barrage of tickets and bring some attention to this ongoing problem. Whack these scofflaws with a big fine and they’ll think twice about ignoring the shoveling law in the future.

Out there chopping ice so I could clear the sidewalk this morning, I watched with pure envy as neighbor after neighbor fired up some monster snowblower and started in. Yeah, they’re an environmental disaster. And, yeah, they’re wasteful. And, yeah, they’re pretty costly for the amount of use they get.

And, yeah, I really want one.

Thankfully, my neighbors are pretty nice. They often clear my sidewalk when they’re out doing their own, probably because they feel sorry for the pitiful guy who has to shovel as if it were still 1934.